System for diverting an optical component signal from a multiplexed optical signal

1. A system for diverting an optical component signal from a plurality of multiplexed optical signals, comprising: a. a plurality of optical communications units, wherein each of the plurality of optical communications units comprises: i. an optical communications channel, including a first portion and a second portion, through which may be transmitted a multiplexed optical signal having a plurality of component signals, wherein each component signal lies within a different optical bandwidth; ii. a branch optical channel comprising a first section and a second section; and iii. a signal diverter that optically couples the first portion of the communications channel to the second portion of the communications channel and that directs a diverted portion of the multiplexed optical signal into the first section of the branch optical channel and that allows a non-diverted portion of the multiplexed optical signal to propagate into the second portion of the optical communications channel; b. a first matrix switch, optically coupled to each of the first sections of each of the branch optical channels of the plurality of optical communications units, the first matrix switch configured to select a first branch of a branch optical channel of one of the plurality of optical communications units; c. an optical wavelength separator, optically coupled to the first matrix switch, the first matrix switch configured to optically couple the selected first section of the branch optical channel of the one of the plurality of optical communications units to the optical wavelength separator, and wherein the optical wavelength separator separates a selected component signal from the diverted portion of the optical signal and optically couples the selected component signal into the second section of the branch optical channel; and d. a port optically coupled to the second section of the branch optical channel, through which an optical device may be optically coupled to the second section of the branch optical channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of optical communications channels comprises an optical fiber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of branch optical channels comprises an optical fiber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of signal diverters comprises a beam splitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical wavelength separator comprises an optical add-drop multiplexer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical device comprises an optical signal analyzer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of first optical wavelength division multiplexers, wherein each of the plurality of optical wavelength division multiplexers is optically coupled to the first portion of a respective optical communications channel so as to optically couple the plurality of optical component signals transmitted through the respective optical communications channel into the first portion of the respective optical communications channel; and b. a plurality of second optical wavelength division multiplexers, wherein each of the plurality of second optical wavelength division multiplexers is optically coupled to the second portion of the respective optical communications channel so as to separate the plurality of optical component signals transmitted through the respective optical communications channel into a plurality of discrete signals.

8. A system for diverting an optical component signal from a multiplexed optical signal, comprising: a. an optical communications unit, comprising: i. an optical communications channel, including a first portion and a second portion, through which maybe transmitted a multiplexed optical signal having a plurality of component signals, wherein each component signal lies within a different optical bandwidth; ii. a branch optical channel comprising a first section and a second section; and iii. a signal diverter that optically couples the first portion of the communications channel to the second portion of the communications channel and that directs a diverted portion of the multiplexed optical signal into the first section of the branch optical channel and that allows a non-diverted portion of the multiplexed optical signal to propagate into the second portion of the optical communications channel; b. an optical wavelength separator, optically coupled to the first section of the branch optical channel, that separates a selected component signal from the diverted portion of the optical signal and that optically couples the selected component into the second section of the branch optical channel; c. a port optically coupled to the second section of the branch optical channel, through which an optical device may be optically coupled to the second section of the branch optical channel; d. a plurality of optical communications units, each unit including an optical communications channel, a branch optical channel and a signal diverter that diverts a portion of an optical signal transmitted through the optical communications channel to the branch optical channel; and e. a first matrix switch, optically coupled to each of the branch optical channels of the plurality of optical communications units and optically coupled to the optical wavelength separator, the matrix switch configured to optically couple a selected branch optical channel to the optical wavelength separator.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising: a. a plurality of optical wavelength separators, each optically coupled to the first matrix switch; b. a second matrix switch, optically coupled to each of the plurality of optical wavelength separators and having a plurality of ports to which a plurality of optical devices may be optically coupled, the second matrix switch being capable of optically coupling a selected optical wavelength separator of the plurality of optical wavelength separators to a selected optical device of the plurality of the optical devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the optical communications channels comprises an optical fiber.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the branch optical channels comprises an optical fiber.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the signal diverters comprises a beam splitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the optical wavelength separator comprises an optical add-drop multiplexer.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the optical device comprises an optical signal analyzer.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 , comprising: a. a plurality of first optical wavelength division multiplexers, wherein each of the plurality of first optical wavelength division multiplexers is optically coupled to the first portion of a respective optical communications channel so as to optically couple the plurality of optical component signals transmitted through the respective optical communications channel into the first portion of the respective optical communications channel; and b. a plurality of second optical wavelength division multiplexers, wherein each of the plurality of second optical division wavelength division multiplexers is optically coupled to the second portion of the respective optical communications channel so as to separate the plurality of optical component signals transmitted through the respective optical communications channel into a plurality of discrete signals.

16. A system for diverting an optical component signal from a plurality of multiplexed optical signals, comprising: a. a plurality of first means for transmitting the plurality of multiplexed optical signals, wherein each of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals includes a plurality of optical component signals of different bandwidths; b. a plurality of second means for transmitting a plurality of multiplexed optical signals; c. a plurality of means for diverting a portion of each of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals from the plurality of first transmitting means to a corresponding one of the plurality of second transmitting means; d. means, optically coupled to each of the plurality of second transmitting means, for selecting the diverted portion from one of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals; e. means, optically coupled to the selecting means, for separating the optical component signal from the selected diverted portion of the one of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals; and f. means for optically coupling the optical component signal from the separating means to an optical device.

17. A system for diverting a plurality of optical component signals from a plurality of multiplexed optical signals, comprising: a. a plurality of first means for transmitting the plurality of multiplexed optical signals, wherein each of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals includes a plurality of optical component signals of different bandwidths; b. a plurality of second means for transmitting a plurality of multiplexed optical signals; c. a plurality of means for diverting a portion of each of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals from the plurality of first transmitting means to a corresponding one of the plurality of second transmitting means; d. means, optically coupled to each of the plurality of second transmitting means, for switching each of the diverted portions from the plurality of multiplexed optical signals; e. a plurality of means, each optically coupled to the switching means, for separating an optical component signal from each of the respective switched diverted portions of the plurality of multiplexed optical signals; and f. means for optically coupling the optical component signal from each of the plurality of separating means to a respective optical device of a plurality of optical devices.